grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Across the country, roughly 42 million people rely on SNAP to afford groceries. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025

For thousands of federal workers still waiting on their paychecks, the delay is forcing many to make difficult choices about rent, groceries and other essentials. —Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

The bank also highlighted growth in Amazon's grocery business as another profit driver. —Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits remained available to help cover grocery costs for low-income households. —Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

Video

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store